‘Private-ish’ Bank Aspiration to Exit Beta Within 6 Months

Think of it as private-ish banking for the “millennial-minded.”

A new banking service called Aspiration is aiming to deliver investment advice and personalized customer service to a new class of customers known as the millennial-minded. Aspiration mobile banking apps will go live in the next three to six months, at which point the company will launch publicly.

Millennial-minded consumers are those people of any age who fit the general (and in many cases, inaccurate) description of millennials as a group: mobile-first, mission-driven, credit-averse.

Aspiration officially launched in the summer of 2013, but essentially has remained in beta — invite-only, with word-of-mouth its primary marketing (but with some significant social media marketing, especially via Twitter). Matthew Lee, head of product and growth at Aspiration, said the company’s main mission is to “bring the best investments to everyone, to the middle class, to close the gape between the wealthy and everyone else.”

The company’s emphasis on investing sets it apart from neobank rivals that tend to focus on digital checking accounts. It also requires a higher level of touch and more personal contact between customers and the company. There is also a socially responsible component: 10% of Aspiration’s profits go to not-for-profit organizations.

Deposits with Aspiration are held at Radius Bank, which recently began offering loans on marketplace lender Prosper’s platform. Customers choose the amount they pay for the account, a strategy GoBank tried, then abandoned.

Another unusual feature of Aspiration is that the company will host local events starting this fall, beginning in its home market of greater Los Angeles. The company also maintains a personal touch, with customer service a priority, according to Lee, and sends handwritten notes to new customers.

“Our motto is ‘do well, do good,'” Lee said. “We think there is a market for sustainable investing, and bringing high-end service to the middle market.”

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